Head to one of the best beaches in Chennai to escape the scorching heat during summers by dipping your toes in the water or munching on hot grilled corn while enjoying the cool breeze during the winters. Surrounded by the Bay of Bengal, Marina Beach has the title of the being India’s longest beach, so why miss this opportunity while your in the city?
Here's What To Do at Marina Beach
Long Stroll
Doesn’t matter if you visit in the morning or evening, but don’t miss to catch a view of the sunrise or sunset which are equally beautiful to watch. Take a walk along the beach or wet your feet in the water. Perfect for a romantic stroll along the shoreline and a wonderful way to spend time with your significant other. Enjoy the natural beauty of Marina Beach, a staple place for couples to hang out, You can sit on the beach and have conversations or simply relax and listen to the soothing sound of the waves, along with other couples.
What to Eat
Aside from couples, if you dont wish to vibe in romantic crusades of the couples around you, dont worry theres lots to do. Marina Beach is not only a visual delight but also a culinary hotspot. Food is served directly on the beach! As you stroll along Marina Beach, you'll encounter several kiosks and pull carts offering freshly prepared seafood. Indulge in delicious fried prawns, fish fry, and crab, all served in the local style. Don't miss the opportunity to get a kulfi and customize it with various toppings, flavours, and spreads. If you dont want a full meal, you can also dig into some fresh mango slices usually topped chili powder or take a loaded bite of some yummy corn or maybe even pop some peanuts into your mouth.
Things to Do
Apart from the delicious food which is a guarantee, there are many ways to have fun. You can try shooting balloons or go on a merry-go-round if you don’t mind seeming very childish. Another exciting activity that you can do here is horse riding. While walking around you will find stands selling beautiful imitation jewellery and souvenirs made from seashells. To do some less known activities. Go to the lighthouse top, and see a stunning view. The lighthouse was constructed in 1976, and is a solar powered structure. Dont worry about walking to the top there is a elevator. The view at the top provides breathtaking views of the beach and cityscape
Nearby Exploration
While you're in the area, check out nearby attractions such as the Vivekananda House also known as Vivekanandar Illam. This memorial was built in 1842 by Frederic Tudor. The Indian Saint Swami Vivekananda stayed in the building when he visited Chennai in 1897, and it was later renamed in his honour. This memorial holds artistic paintings which are arranged based on timelines depicting the grand tradition of the ancient period. The memorial has many types of memoirs related to Swami Vivekananda, it a 4 min walk from Marina Beach. The Sri Parthasathy Swamy Temple is also another site that can be visited. It was constructed in the 6th to 8th CE by the Pallavas and later built by Cholas and the Vijayanagara kings. Also, architecture-wise, numerous Tamil inscriptions can be found within the temple, some of which are as old as 8 th century. This temple is one of the few in India with idols of three different avatars of Vishnu in one complex: Rama, Krishna, and Narasimha. The temple is approximately a 10 minute walk from the beach.
How to Get There
You can reach Marina beach thanks to the very near Marina Beach bus stop and there are always several buses passing past this bus stop linking different parts of the city to the beach. The nearest metro station to this location is the LIC, which will take around 12 minutes to walk to Marina beach.